


Low-Class and High-Strung

by SpaceShaolin



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-12 08:43:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7928224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceShaolin/pseuds/SpaceShaolin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A hypothetical "what if?" scenario during the rebellion's early days, where two former lower-ranked gems learn to break new ground together. They're united for Rose Quartz and for the cause, but the renegade ornament and the expendable foot soldier still have several things to talk about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Low-Class and High-Strung

When they first join Rose Quartz’s famed rebellion army, Ruby finds herself unable to believe the state they find them in. _This_ was supposed to be the terrifying pack of gem soldiers that had the Diamonds all scared?

“They’re a mess!” she tells Sapphire as soon as they’re able to get a moment to themselves. “Rank amateurs! I can’t believe it!” She growls and throws her arms to the air. There are small bursts of fire that erupt from her feet as she paces around the small tree grove they’ve ducked into. “They’re a _mess,_ Sapphire!”

But Sapphire, already used to Ruby’s temper flares, remains unfazed by the display. “Ruby,” she says, all calmness and zero urgency. “Ruby, they’re not soldiers.”

Her patience achieves the desired effect. Ruby stops pacing, but because the anger is still burning within her, she taps an impatient foot instead, desperate for any kind of motion to release it. “I already know that,” she mutters.

“You do,” she agrees. “But they don’t. They’re just gems from all over, angry at the Diamonds, like we are.”

 _You don’t know anything,_ is the comeback burning on the tip of Ruby’s tongue, but she swallows a breath and allows the moment to pass. She feels the flame die in her throat before she answers Sapphire again.

“Yeah, well.” Ruby crosses her arms, glaring down at the ground instead. “Bet me’n the other Rubies back home could whip ‘em into shape faster than any lousy Quartz.”

“Ruby!” Sapphire says, attempting to scold, but puts a hand to her mouth to keep her giggles from spilling out.

Ruby grins. “What?” If there is one good thing about escaping Homeworld, it’s that they’re a lot freer here. No formalities, or silly traditions, or any of the other rigid, boring stuff Ruby’s always hated but had to get used to.

Even so, the state of Rose Quartz’s army still leaves a lot to be desired.

“Give it time,” Sapphire says, once her giggle fit passes. She places a gentle hand on Ruby’s arm and the effect is immediately soothing. Ruby calms down on the spot, and it’s these, she thinks – the soft touch of Sapphire’s glove on her hot, bare skin and her reassuring smiles – it’s these things that will make her jump over cliffs and walk through unknown, icy lands. All for the sake of this one little gem.

She’d do anything for Sapphire. Ruby knows this, so Ruby calms down. She trusts in Sapphire, and if Sapphire will trust this ragged Quartz army, then Ruby will too, if a bit begrudgingly.

Sapphire smiles at her. “They don’t have your expertise, Ruby,” she says and runs a thumb over her arm. It’s a consolation she offers as thanks that Ruby’s managed to reign in her outburst.

Ruby manages a smile for her, but the doubt still lingers in her eyes.

Sapphire looks like she can sense this, but she maintains her silence, choosing not to press the matter further.

* * *

Sometimes, they’re Garnet.

Other times, they stay apart, as themselves.

Whichever form they choose, Ruby and Sapphire go around the camp and mingle with the rest of Rose Quartz’s army. But where Sapphire seems to enjoy herself on these short walks, Ruby finds herself unable to share in her joy whole-heartedly.

When they’re Garnet, everything’s a bright haze of newness and possibilities, that it’s easy to get distracted from the things happening around them. But when they’re apart, Ruby falls into old habits and takes to observing the rest of the gems they’re with.

With Garnet, the others in the army are different parts stunned, awed, and terrified of the fusion walking so freely amongst them, that it’s almost more than Ruby can take. Those brave enough have attempted conversation with Garnet, but they’re always so distant when they do, as if scared she’ll attack them or make them sick. Ruby doesn’t remember hearing anyone address them as ‘Garnet,’ only as ‘The Fusion,’ and because Ruby’s spent years addressing larger superiors with the same sort of submissiveness, she knows the unnecessary capital letters when she hears them.

She hates it; feels sick to her stomach sometimes, just thinking about it.  

For a renegade army charging under a flag of equality, they sure didn’t hesitate to fall to their knees when the next authority figure came along and presented herself.

It’s for these reasons that Ruby learns to relish the moments she spends alone, unfused from Sapphire. Sapphire tries to understand, which Ruby is thankful for – but she’s enjoyed some individuality and prestige back with Blue Diamond, so these things are just simply beyond her grasp. Ruby doesn’t blame her.

She can’t.

Some things, you just can’t help because of your birthright, and because Ruby’s had decades of experience, she knows better than anyone else to begrudge Sapphire for this lack of understanding. So, she doesn't. So, she doesn't bring the issue up with Sapphire at all. Besides, it’s not like Ruby could put her feelings into words. Speaking was never supposed to be her thing anyway.

But she still slips away, when she can.

Life is better here, for sure, but Ruby finds herself missing the anonymity sometimes. Compared to the stark individuality Garnet offered, life as another Ruby soldier suddenly didn’t seem so bad. After all that time spent as ‘just another Ruby,’ she isn’t sure anymore if this is just personal preference talking or if it’s just been so ingrained in her, that any other option terrified her immediately.

She’s ashamed of feeling this way, but life really was so much easier when she was able to hide with the other Rubies.

Less responsibility.

Less importance.

Less hassle.

Just the way Ruby likes it.

* * *

It’s on one of her unfused days when she bumps into Pearl. Or rather, Pearl bumps into her. It doesn’t matter – Ruby still feels her hackles rising unconsciously at seeing her. Her earliest memories of her had, after all, involved Pearl brandishing her swords at them, that Ruby doesn’t feel at all sorry for being on-guard so automatically.

But Pearl isn’t holding her swords now.

A few unsteady seconds pass them by, and their stand-off is broken once Pearl gives her a terse nod. “Ruby,” she greets.

“Pearl,” she says back, and just like that, the air around them loosens and expands, causing them to relax their guards with the peaceful environment.

Ruby gives her a small, ‘thanks for not attacking me’ smile and doesn’t miss the way Pearl’s relaxed look reflects the same thing.

“Where’s Rose?” she asks, and at the same time, Pearl’s “Where’s Sapphire?” comes dancing out of her mouth.

They look at each other again and burst into easy laugher at their awkwardness.

“Meeting the new recruits,” Pearl says.

Ruby nods. “Taking a tour around the camp,” she offers.

“Again?”

Ruby chuckles. “She likes it here. New terrain to explore and all that.” She shrugs.

“Rose feels the same way,” Pearl says. “Although personally, I don’t quite see the appeal.” She frowns down at the grass beneath her feet, like it’s offended her.

“It has its perks.” Ruby shrugs again. “It’s much better than what they’ve got back on Homeworld, that's for sure.”

Pearl gives her a look. “Well, that’s new. I thought Earth might have bored you too.”

“It has its perks,” Ruby says again. “Sapphire and I, we… after all, here on Earth, we…” she trails off, unsure what to say or how much of it to tell. “You met Garnet here again on Earth,” she says instead and gives Pearl a meaningful look.

Pearl nods.

Ruby continues. “But hey, if she likes it here…”

Pearl sighs, glancing away for a moment. “Just like Rose.” She snaps her gaze back to Ruby again. “It’s still strange this planet hasn’t bored you yet, considering everything else seems to have left you dissatisfied.”

Ruby stiffens, getting up from the ground to properly face her.

“Like Rose’s army, for example.”

So, she wants to fight. Very well, then. Ruby would indulge her. There hadn’t been many opportunities to let out steam since she and Sapphire had made their escape from Homeworld, so a fight with Pearl fit the bill just fine. 

“I’ve seen the way you look at us, you know,” Pearl says, ignoring the dark look that’s crossed Ruby’s features. “You think you’re better than us – and maybe you are. But you are a Ruby, after all. Of course you’d know these things.”

Ruby feels the flames already flaring up inside her and doesn’t bother to wait for them to cool off. “Watch it, Pearl,” she says, immediately summoning her gauntlet. “Just because your Quartz is head honcho around here, doesn’t mean you get to act like one too.”

Pearl takes in a sharp breath and Ruby makes a satisfied smirk when she sees her whip out her swords. “You’re one to talk!” Pearl says. “Just because your Sapphire acts like she’s above everything, doesn’t mean you get to, too!”

“You’re stepping way out of your range there, talking about Sapphire like that.”

“And where do you think you get off talking about Rose like that?”

“I’m a Ruby!” she explodes. “Remember? I’ve been in armies my whole existence, so I’d know, Pearl. Whatever you’ve got here, it’s no army. What’s _your_ excuse?”

“You think I don’t already know that?” Pearl fires back. “Everyone here, in this army, they’re all angry at Homeworld too, you realize?”

Ruby already knows where this is going, if only because she’s thought the same so many times before, too. “But they’re not as angry as you are,” she says. From the startled way Pearl jerks and relaxes her guard, Ruby knows she’s got this right. But she still needs to make sure. “Aren’t they?”

Tense seconds pass by them again, the silence almost solemn, if not for the two angry rebels pointing their weapons at each other. After a while, it’s Pearl who gives in first.

“You’re right.” Her weapons disappear from her hands, prompting Ruby to will her gauntlet away as well. “They wouldn’t know. How could they? They really were so much better off than I was on Homeworld.” She takes a seat on the grass and hangs her head a little. “But Rose, she says that no one’s pain outweighs the other. That just because I had it harder before, it doesn’t mean I should look down on everyone else or use it as another ranking system.”

Ruby nods, taking this in, before settling down beside Pearl on the grass. She takes it as a good sign when Pearl doesn’t attack her right away, so she scoots a little closer. “They used to talk about you so much back on Homeworld, you know?” Ruby tells her. “Everywhere I’d go, the other gems – they were all talking about the terrifying Rose Quartz and the renegade Pearl.”

Pearl scoffs. “I hardly think ‘terrifying’ is the word I would use. Rose is… she’s so much more than just that.”

“She really is something else,” Ruby admits. “You both are, actually.”

“So are you,” Pearl returns smoothly. “Garnet, especially. Rose wouldn’t stop talking about her on our way back here from Blue Diamond.”

“Oh.” Ruby blinks, momentarily taken aback that she’d addressed Garnet by her proper name. But then again, she’d been the only other gem in the rebel army who’d done so, besides Rose. Garnet didn’t scare Pearl at all, and Ruby finds that she likes her more for it, for some reason. “Yeah, she’s really cool. But really, that’s all mostly Sapphire.”

“But you’re still a part of her, aren’t you? Garnet wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for both Sapphire and Ruby.”

She scratches her nose, face already beginning to turn even redder from the embarrassment. “Yeah, well…” She gestures vaguely towards Pearl, eager to return the praise. “All those stories wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if Rose Quartz didn’t have Pearl with her.”

Pearl straightens up in her seat and nods curtly at Ruby, a genuine smile beginning to ghost her features. Ruby suspects it’s because she hadn’t called her Rose’s Pearl, but one good turn did deserve another. If Pearl was going to acknowledge Garnet and Ruby’s contribution to her, then Ruby was going to return the favor.

“We’ve really outdone ourselves here, haven’t we?” Pearl chuckles, snapping Ruby out of her thoughts. “If only Homeworld could see us now.”

Ruby grins at her. “But they already have, right? I can’t wait ‘till they get here, so I can punch ‘em all right in the face!”

“With what, your little gauntlet?”

Ruby’s grin gets wider. So, she wants to fight. Very well, then. Ruby would indulge her. “And you think your pointy sticks and fancy tricks are any better?”

Pearl huffs and points her nose to the air. “My _technique,_ ” she says, “is hardly more than a show of tricks, Ruby. Although I can understand how… _refined_ it must look to a grunt like you.”

Ruby pouts and crosses her arms. “Hey, I’m not all stupid.” She grunts at her. “I still know what all those fancy words mean.”

“Sapphire’s influence, I’m sure.” Pearl smiles when Ruby predictably loosens up at the name.

Ruby shakes her head. “Not just her,” she clarifies. “Hang outside those snobby gems’ meeting chambers long enough and you learn to pick up a _refined_ word or two.” She draws out the emphasized word and exaggerates her accent to properly mock the gem royalty’s way of talking.

This draws a laugh out of Pearl, at first quiet and subdued, as if she’s afraid of being overheard. But reality sinks in and once she realizes where they are, the laughter tumbles out of her loudly and loosely, that Ruby has no other choice but to join in. They share the laughter for quite a while, already feeling closer to each other in more ways than one. After the stifling pressures of Homeworld and its customs and rules, it’s a refreshing feeling to make fun of their oppressors so freely like this.

“I’ll have you know,” Pearl says once the laughter begins to die down, “that although Rose did teach me how to swordfight, I learned the rest of it myself. You might say I have a knack for picking things up.”

Ruby snorts at the horrible joke. “No wonder,” she says. “Your fancy technique’s so full of holes, I could put a hand in one of ‘em and you’ll fall apart.”

“Big talk for someone whose Ruby Fusion lost so easily.”

“I was caught off-guard! Besides, I don’t think your little pointy sticks stand a chance against _this_ baby!” Her gauntlet immediately flashes into existence and Ruby grins once Pearl summons her swords as well.

“Oh, so that’s your plan?” Pearl retorts, although she’s sporting a wide grin of her own too. “Typical of a Ruby. I’m hardly surprised – after all, you lot do like to hit everything into submission.”

“That’s ‘cause it works!”

“Not against my swords it won’t! En guarde!”

Ruby lowers her arm and gapes at Pearl. “What?”

“Have at you, I say!” Pearl says in lieu of an answer, twirling one of her swords in her hand.

“Wait, what is that? Is this another one of your fancy tricks?”

Pearl rolls her eyes and mutters under her breath, half-hoping that Ruby could hear her. “Just when I thought I’d finally found someone decent to spar with.”

* * *

Ruby finds Sapphire again back at the camp. At the same time, Pearl finds her way back to Rose Quartz.

Everything falls back into its natural order.

Even so, Ruby already knows that if there’s anything the Crystal Gems will fight against, it’s that same natural order. This is why she can feel it boiling in her gut, that she and Pearl will get together again soon enough. It was way too fun not to. And besides, there was still the matter of a proper training regimen to iron out. Ruby feels relieved she was able to bring that up with Pearl earlier.

She understands now, why the gems were here, why they were still so afraid, and why she had to learn to be less frustrated around them. And if she wasn’t able to do any of those – well, at least Pearl would be there to talk to her and sort her right out. Maybe tagging along with the rebel army wasn’t going to be a complete waste, after all.

“Have fun?” Sapphire greets, leaning in to peck her cheek.

Ruby flushes, but smiles back at her anyway. “Y’know, Sapphire,” she says. “I think I might have been wrong about this Crystal Gem army.”

“Oh? What changed your mind?”

“Pearl. The one who’s always hanging around Rose Quartz. She actually isn’t half-bad, once you get to know her.”

 _She knows too,_ Ruby wants to say. _She understands._ But she keeps this in, thinking it better if she didn’t bother Sapphire with all the details of this new friendship.

Sapphire cocks her head at her like she’s heard her thoughts, but with her eye buried under her bangs, it’s hard to tell. She hums. “That’s good.”

“I mean, of course, this army’s still a mess, but me and Pearl – and you too, Sapphy, these gems’re gonna need Garnet whether they like it or not – we could really change things here! For Rose, for everyone! This is gonna be so much _fun,_ I can feel it!”

“I’m glad, Ruby.” Sapphire smiles and there’s something about it that seems a little off, causing Ruby to stop her happy pacing. Already, Ruby knows that Sapphire must have used her future vision again today, going off to explore by herself, precisely because she’d seen this afternoon happening to Ruby and Pearl.

But because Ruby is already used to her gem’s little quirks and pure intentions, she finds that she doesn’t mind this at all. It doesn’t mean Sapphire’s going to get off easily, however. Ruby grins and hooks a fond arm around Sapphire, before launching into a re-telling of the day’s events. “I don’t care if you already saw this happening or whatever,” she says as a preface. “Bet Pearl isn’t nearly as fun as you saw her anyway.”

Sapphire giggles, pressing her lips gently to Ruby’s gem. “Go ahead,” she urges. “Tell me everything.”


End file.
